The present disclosure relates to a vent. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a vent for allowing airflow between the interior of a building and the exterior of the building while providing a barrier to entry into the building of unwanted exterior environment elements, such as pests (e.g., insects and small animals), debris and precipitation.
Venting can be used to provide a continuous supply of outdoor air to the attic space of a home or other building. Vents can be used to provide air intake into the attic space and air exhaust from the attic space to provide for the desired continuous supply of outdoor air to the attic.
Building ventilation fights the deleterious effects of high heat and moisture. Heat in unventilated attics may cause extremely high attic temperatures, which can cause damage to shingles, roof sheathing, and also radiate down into the living area, causing excessive air conditioning usage to maintain comfort. Moisture can cause rot, mildew, mold, paint blister and decrease the effectiveness of insulation.
Static roof vents can be utilized to provide desired airflow between a building and the surrounding environment. Static roof vents are installed over openings in a roof and allow rising hot air and moisture to escape the attic space. Static roof vents are passive vents that do not include moving parts to facilitate airflow, but rather simply define an airflow conduit through which the underlying structure can vent.
The present disclosure provides a passive vent having an advantageous construction balancing the competing desires of providing sufficient airflow while preventing intrusion of unwanted debris, precipitation and live pests.
The disclosure, in one form thereof, provides a vent including a base comprising a vent wall defining a passageway for fluid communication with a structure to be vented, a cover positioned over the passageway to cover a lateral extent of the passageway, the cover including a cover skirt, and an inner guard, the inner guard defining a grate, the inner guard including a connector for selectively connecting the inner guard to the base, the grate extending laterally outwardly from the vent wall when the inner guard is connected to the base, the inner guard sized to substantially span the vent wall and the cover skirt.
In certain alternative exemplifications, the base further comprises a flange, with the flange extending outwardly from the vent wall and comprising an anchor for securing the vents to a building, the inner guard spaced upwardly from the flange to create an open space for an airflow between the flange and the inner guard.
In certain alternative exemplifications, the inner guard comprises a rigid inner guard having an outer perimeter juxtaposed with the cover skirt to support the cover and prevent substantial inward bowing of the cover skirt.
In certain alternative exemplifications, the inner guard comprises a precipitation baffle, the precipitation baffle positioned between the vent wall and the cover skirt, the precipitation baffle having a height defined between a top and a bottom, the top and the bottom of the precipitation baffles spaced from the base and the cover to define a floating precipitation baffle.
In certain alternative exemplifications, the grate comprises a plurality of intersecting numbers defining a plurality of openings, and wherein the precipitation baffle comprises a tallest one of the intersecting members. In additional alternative exemplifications, the grate of the inner guard is defined by a plurality of intersecting members intersecting the precipitation baffle, a first plurality of the intersecting numbers having a first height, a second plurality of the intersecting numbers having a second height, the first height less than the second height, the second plurality of the intersecting members spaced along the precipitation baffle, a plurality of the first plurality of the intersecting members positioned between adjacent ones of the second plurality of the intersecting members.
In certain alternative exemplifications, the cover is selectively securable to the base, with the inner guard captured between the cover and the base. In further alternative exemplifications, a layer of filter media overlies the inner guard, the layer of filter media captured between the cover and the inner guard, the cover including a plurality of filter media extensions extending from an under surface of the cover to abut the layer of filter media positioned over the inner guard.
In alternative exemplifications of the present disclosure, a layer of filter media overlies the inner guard, the grate having a grate pore size defined by a majority of a plurality of pores through the inner guard, the filter media having a filter media pore size defined by a majority of a plurality of pores through the filter media, the filter media pore size smaller than the grate pore size, whereby moisture encountering the filter media will not pass the filter media and will drip, via gravity, away from the passageway. In further alternative exemplifications, the layer of filter media comprises a mesh screen. In additional alternative exemplifications, a ratio of the grate pore size to the filter media pore size is at least 2 to 1, whereby each pore through the grate is at least twice as big as each pore through the filter media.
In alternative exemplifications of the present disclosure, the grate does not overlie the passageway so that the grate of the inner guard filters an airflow flowing through the vent without laterally covering the passageway defined by the vent wall.
The disclosure, in another form thereof, provides a vent including a base comprising a vent wall defining a passageway for fluid communication with a structure to be vented, a cover positioned over the passageway to cover a lateral extent of the passageway, an inner guard, the inner guard defining a grate having a grate pore size, the inner guard positioned to filter an airflow flowing through the vent, and a layer of filter media overlying the inner guard, the filter media overlying the inner guard, the filter media having a filter media pore size, the filter media pore size smaller than the grate pore size.
In alternative exemplifications, the cover includes a cover skirt, and the inner guard substantially spans the vent wall and the cover skirt, with the grate extending laterally outwardly from the vent wall.
In additional alternative exemplifications, the cover is selectively securable to the vent wall to laterally cover the passageway.
In alternative exemplifications, the inner guard includes a connector for selectively connecting the inner guard to the vent wall to substantially span the vent wall and the cover skirt.
In alternative exemplifications, the base further comprises a flange, the flange extending outwardly from the vent wall and comprising an anchor for securing the vent to a building, the inner guard spaced upwardly from the flange to create and open space for the airflow between the flange and the inner guard.
In alternative exemplifications, the inner guard comprises a rigid inner guard having an outer perimeter juxtaposed with the cover skirt to support the cover and prevent substantial inward bowing of the cover skirt.
In alternative exemplifications, the inner guard comprises a precipitation baffle, the precipitation baffle positioned between the vent wall and the cover skirt, the precipitation baffle having a height defined between a top and a bottom the top and the bottom of precipitation baffle spaced from the base and the cover to define a floating precipitation baffle. In further alternative exemplifications, the grate of the inner guard comprises a plurality of intersecting members defining a plurality of openings, and wherein the precipitation baffle comprises a tallest one of the intersecting members. In additional alternative exemplifications, the grate is defined by a plurality of intersecting members intersecting the precipitation baffle, a first plurality of the intersecting members having a first height, a second plurality of the intersecting members having a second height, the first height less than the second height, the second plurality of the intersecting members spaced along the precipitation baffle, a plurality of the first plurality of the intersecting members positioned adjacent ones of the second plurality of the intersecting members.
In alternative exemplifications, the cover is selectively securable to the base, with the inner guard and the layer of filter media captured between the cover and the base, the cover including a plurality of filter media extensions extending from an under surface of the cover to abut the layer of filter media positioned over the inner guard.
In alternative exemplifications, the filter media comprises a mesh screen.
In alternative exemplifications, a ration of the grate pore size to the filter media pore size is at least two to one, whereby each pore through the grate is at least twice as big as each pore through the filter media.
In alternative exemplifications, the grate does not overlay the passageway.
The disclosure, an yet another form thereof, provides a vent including a vent wall defining a passageway for fluid communication with a structure to be vented, a cover positioned over the passageway to cover a lateral extent of the passageway, the cover including a cover skirt, the cover skirt positioned a laterally outward distance from the vent wall, and a layer of filter media having a pore size of about two millimeters squared spanning the vent wall and the cover skirt.
In alternative exemplifications, the vent further includes an inner guard defining a grate, the grate spanning the vent wall and the cover skirt, the layer of filter media overlying the grate.
In alternative exemplifications, the vent further includes a flange extending outwardly from the vent wall and comprising an anchor for securing the vent to a building, the inner guard spaced upwardly from the flange to create an open space for an airflow between the flange and the inner guard.
In alternative exemplifications, the inner guard comprises a rigid inner guard having an outer perimeter juxtaposed with the cover skirt to support the cover and prevent substantial inward bowing of the cover skirt.
In alternative exemplifications, the inner guard comprises a precipitation baffle, the precipitation baffle positioned between the vent wall and the cover skirt, the precipitation baffle having a height defined between a top and a bottom the top and the bottom of the precipitation baffle spaced from the flange and the cover to define a floating precipitation baffle. In alternative exemplifications, the grate of the inner guard comprises a plurality of intersecting members defining a plurality of openings, with the precipitation baffle comprises a tallest one of the intersecting members. In further alternative exemplifications, the grate of the inner guard is defined by a plurality of intersecting members intersecting the precipitation baffle, a first plurality of the intersecting members having a first height, a second plurality of the intersecting members having a second height, the first height less than the second height, the second plurality of intersecting members spaced along the precipitation baffle, a plurality of the first plurality of the intersecting members positioned between adjacent ones of the second plurality of the intersecting members.
In alternative exemplifications, the cover is selectively securable to the vent wall, with the inner guard captured between the cover and the base, and the layer of filter media captured between the cover and the inner guard, the cover including a plurality of filter media extensions extending from an under surface of the cover to abut the layer of filter media positioned over the inner guard.
In alternative exemplifications, the grate of the inner guard has a grate pore size defined by a majority of a plurality of pores through the inner guard, the filter media having a filter media pore size defined by a majority of a plurality of pores through the filter media, the filter media pore size smaller than the grate pore size, whereby moisture encountering the filter media will not pass the filter media and it will drip, via gravity away from the passageway. In further alternative exemplifications, the filter media comprises a mesh screen. In additional alternative exemplifications, a ratio of the grate pore size to the filter media pore size is at least 2-1, whereby each pore through the grate is at least twice as big as each pore through the filter media.
In alternative exemplifications, the grate does not overlay the passageway.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the invention. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.